ABR: Removing Rust with SCIENCE!

I recently fixed up a steel bike for someone special. The pedals needed grease, the bars needed adjustment and tightening, and it was rusted as heck. Pedals and bars are easy; tighten this or apply lube to that. The rust was another problem. At ABR we have these steel wire brushes that we use. These were okay for getting the grimy rust off, but they never got the surface rust, and you can forget about getting the nice chrome or steel look back.

So I did some research and I came across this video on youtube which seemed like magic.

For all you science minded people, since the rust (iron oxide) is less dense than the aluminum and the steel is more dense than the aluminum the aluminum takes off the rust without damaging the steel.

So get a cup of water and a rag, dip some aluminum foil in it, and rub away. It is like magic.

One Response

There was no link to the video so I didn’t see it in action, but I can believe that aluninum foil and water could scrub rust off without hurting the underlyiung steel or chrome. There are quite a few alternatives –
- brass bristled brushes instead of steel. Like the aluminum foil, brass is softer than chrome or steel.
- liquid or semi liquid products like Naval Jelly and Simichrome polish. Classic car restorers’supplies list many effective rust removers that won’t damage parts in their catalogs or web sites.
- There are “rust erasers” available, big blocks of rubber, some with a mild abrasive in them, that will rub rust away. Pencil or ink erasers will work, too.
After removing the rust you have exposed bare steel – if there is rust on chrome, then the chrome is cracked, chipped or pitted, exposing the steel underneath. Steel exposed to oxygen and water will re-rust quickly (Even a humid day will do it.). Protect it with at least a coat or two of paste wax or some other type of sealer.

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